Gani Adams predicts new Nigeria, launches 79th OPU chapter in Dubai

Aare Gani Adams has revealed that a new Nigeria will soon emerge following his prediction that the country would soon be  restructured along regional line  and returned to her glorious past.

Speaking at the Land Mark hotel, Baniya, Dubai venue of the  official launch  of  the United Arab Emirate( UAE ) chapter of the Odua Progressive Union( OPU), Adams said against all odds, Nigeria would soon be restructured along regional line, thus urging members of the group to play the roles expected of them in the emerging Nigeria.

Describing OPU as  a wonderful platform for the unification of Yorubas in the diaspora, Adams said “before today, the noble body operates effectively in 78 countries around the world”  adding that  “today’s launch brings the total countries OPU is operational to 79, even though there are  still more countries ready for launch as well”

 He said the body has provided a veritable platform  for the Odua
natives living  far away from their home land to constantly interact
on issues of common interest, especially as it affects the Odua nation
in particular and the country, Nigeria in general.

Mentioning that the Odua Progressive Union is a non-partisan, non-religious, ethnic,
socio-cultural and integrated sustainable development initiative,
packaged and developed by Yoruba sons and daughters, based on a common
vision and a shared conviction, Adams said  the initiative  called OPU, is anchored on the determination of Yoruba people to extricate themselves from the malaise of marginalization and under-development.

Insisting that the members have roles to play in rebuilding Nigeria, Adams said “we can not shy away from the reality of the unhealthy state of our country Nigeria.
“We all have a role to play to ensure that our country returns to her
glorious past.

“That is why i challenge you, not only to lend your voice, but to
ensure that you play your parts in the restructured Nigeria that will
emerge soon, by the grace of God. “To every one that mean well for the country, it has been unanimously agreed that Nigeria must be restructured along regional line for her
glory to return.

“Nigeria, for many of its  over 250 ethnic groups, is obviously not a nation in the sense that we regard France, United Kingdom or South Africa as a nation. “That is why, given an option, many of the ethnic groups in Nigeria would prefer to be independent of the country.

“Already, groups such as the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the
Niger Delta Avengers, among others, have more or less shattered
whatever illusions we may retain regarding the Nigeria that we are
living in.

“While Nigeria would obviously be better off remaining a nation, it is also true that a surgical operation is required to take out the cancer of disintegration currently ravaging the country on every side.” Adams volunteered.

He said Nigeria, as it is presently operated, is not sustainable. According to him, Nigeria is supposed to be a federal republic but it operates a unitary constitution where the states, like children, simply go to Abuja at the end of every month to collect food.

“They cannot even feed themselves. Is it not an utter shame that the descendants of the Oyo empire, Kanem-Bornu empire, Benin empire, and so on, have to go cap in
hand to Abuja, collecting allocation that cannot even pay workers’salaries when the traditional system which guaranteed full employment and a decent standard of living can be recreated through proper federalism like we had in the First Republic?” he quarried.

Making case for a return to regionalism, Adams said “in the USA, it was the states that came together to form the central/federal government currently headed by President Donald Trump. “In Nigeria, it was the  Federal Government that created the states for
political reasons and to achieve selfish aim”

He offered that “a lot of things are wrong with our democracy  back home and to address these anomalies, hence OPU support for the restructuring of our
Nation, lest the worse happen.”

At OPU level,  he  said, “we are canvassing for restructuring of the Nigeria nation along regional  lines as the most practicable solution to the
problem confronting the country at the moment and to achieve this, the
issue of Mutual understanding and Compromise must come into play.

“Mutual understanding and Compromise in the sense that the Federal
government must be magnanimous enough to cede more power to the
regions that will now take custody of  their domicile resources.

” it is our belief in OPU that  the time is now for the country to take
the option of restructuring  but we  must also warn that any restructuring that is not tailored along regional line, reflecting the six geo-political structure of the country,  would be mere wasting of time and resources.

“It is only when each of the zones in the federation can formulate its
own laws, manage its resources through which it can determine its
workers minimum wage, the type of education, health system and the
budget it wants to run as well as determine its economic focus without
interference from the centre, only then can the different nations
within the country Nigeria live together in peace and harmony.

Regionalism, Adams maintained, “is most suitable for the country at this time as each region will be governed by laws that best suits it and think  the
experience and success recorded in the Western region best register
the need for the reversion to  regionalism.” he told the gathering .